TUESDAY, June 17 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR TUESDAY, June 17, 2025
(Print button is at bottom of post. To print with larger type, cut and paste content into a document, and print that document.)

COMEDY MP3s POSTED ON OUR PREP SITE FOR TODAY: YE RENAISSANCE FAIRE

TODAY IS …
(All days repeat annually on today’s date unless otherwise noted; days may or may not be called “National”/”International”/”World” depending on source; sources listed often have additional info. We generally do not list special days which were created by commercial companies for the purpose of marketing – including “holidays” created by the National Day Calendar and Wellcat websites to drive traffic to their websites – or the hundreds of disease awareness listings which occur each year. We present only those specially designated days we feel your listeners would find most interesting or significant.)

EAT YOUR VEGETABLES DAY
The Holiday Insights website says this:
“Strategically created in the middle of National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month, this day is the perfect opportunity to re-introduce a healthy portion of vegetables into your diet. No doubt about it, Eat Your Vegetables Day was created to promote a more healthy diet … for life! On this day, you are encouraged to eat vegetables for every meal, and for a snack. Better still, try to be a vegetarian … for the day. Short of that, any additional vegetables at meal time today will honor the event, as well as make you a little healthier. We encourage parents to let the kids help with dinner, preparing the salad and vegetables. Along the way, you tell your kids a little about the importance of vegetables for a long and healthy life.”

NATIONAL APPLE STRUDEL DAY

NATIONAL CHERRY TART DAY

NATIONAL MASCOT DAY
The Wincalendar website says this:
“National Mascot Day was founded by David Raymond, who served as the original Phillie Phanatic, the beloved and iconic mascot of the Philadelphia Phillies MLB team, for over 16 years. Raymond started the tradition in 2017 to acknowledge the hard work and dedication that goes into bringing mascots to life, and to further recognize the impact these characters have on sports, entertainment, and communities at large.”

June is:

NATIONAL DJ MONTH – Yeah!
National Adopt a Cat / Adopt a Shelter Cat Month
African-American Music / Black Music Appreciation Month
Great Outdoors Month / National Camping Month
International Men’s Month
Lemon Month
National Candy Month
National Fresh Fruit & Vegetables Month
National Iced Tea Month
National Rose Month
National Seafood Month
Pride Month
Women’s Golf Month

ENTERTAINMENT & CELEBRITIES

JOEY CHESTNUT RETURNING TO NATHAN’S HOT DOG EATING CONTEST

Competitive eating legend Joey Chestnut (* His mother must be so proud) announced Monday that he is returning to the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest after a one-year hiatus from the annual Fourth of July event. Chestnut, a 16-time champion, missed last year’s event because of his sponsorship deal with a rival hot dog company to Nathan’s. Chestnut wrote on X: “I’m thrilled to be returning to the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest. This event means the world to me. It’s a cherished tradition, a celebration of American culture, and a huge part of my life.”
* ..pass the mustard.
* He also apologized to anybody who thought he was sincere about that rival hot dog company and bought their hot dogs, but they actually suck and he just did it for a quick buck, but you should have known that cause what, were you born yesterday?
* Stuffing your face with an obscene amount of food is a celebration of American culture? Oh, wait – he’s got a point.
* Didn’t he mean to say a huge ‘fart’ of his life?
* He says he keeps in competitive eating shape by going to Cheesecake Factory and cleaning his plate.
* Sorry, but I find the whole “competitive eating” thing … hard to swallow.

THE BUZZ

RAREST – AND ODDEST – NAMES OF 2024

According to the Social Security Administration, here are the Top 25 names given to fewer than 10 babies born in the U.S. last year:
– Girls: Whisper, Missouri, Poem, Mylove, Palace, Serenityrose, Mama, Virtue, Banksy, Delight, Edelweiss, Infant, Dairy, Cinderella, Brightly, Fauna, Ethereal, Versailles, Chai, Universe, Hyatt, Canary, Oracle, Elegance, Fairy.
* One of the unexpected consequences of legalizing pot.
* Quick – name 25 girls who will grow up to be strippers.
– Boys: Horizon, Irish, Stoic, Nexus, God, Asherjames, Germany, Darling, Wyman, Portland, Matrix, Grim, Dragon, Lafayette, Jaguar, Ontario, Zero, Crash, Gilead, Cotton, Infinity, Heir, Lancelot, Ruckus, Swift
* I’m sorry, those are the names of the superheroes in the next round of Avengers movies.
* Imagine when they grow up, Infinity starts dating Universe.
* I’m starting to see why kids today just want to be called they or them.
* Did the DOGE team do any cutting of waste at the Social Security Administration? ‘Cause I don’t think we should be spending tax money on the Name Shame Squad.

U.S. NEWS

DOG JUMPS OUT OF CAR TO CHASE YELLOWSTONE WOLF

In Yellowstone National Park last Friday a German Shepherd leaped from the back of a vehicle to chase a young wolf on the side of a road. Dogs are allowed in the park on the condition that their owners maintain “physical control” over them at all times. In this case, the wolf was trying to get to an animal carcass by the side of the road, and tourists spotted what was going on and slowed down. The dog owner said he tried to roll up all the windows of his vehicle when he spotted the wolf, but the dog stuck its head out the passenger-side window, activating a safety mechanism that caused the window to roll back down. (* Sure. That’s what happened.) The dog leaped from the car and chased the wolf, which started running but stopped and faced the German Shepherd, which subsequently stopped. They were in a standoff about 15 feet apart before the driver of the vehicle reversed to where he could call and collect his dog. The dog owner has been cited by the park for multiple violations, and has a court date scheduled in July.
* And then grandma jumped out of the car to go pet a buffalo.
* You don’t think the dog saw the wolf and thought, “Oh my god, it’s Cousin Morrie!”
* Maybe when people show up to a wildlife park with a dog in the car, the guards at the entrance gates should duct tape their windows closed.
* Coulda been worse. Coulda been a little poodle dog, and we’d be talking about him in the past tense.

UNITED AIRPLANE TO PASSENGERS: BITE ME

Passengers on a recent United Airlines flight to Chicago were shocked to find a strange message greeting them on every single inflight video screen on the back of every seat on the plane. The message was: “Welcome aboard flight BITEME1 to Chicago.” Most people found it funny. No one is sure how the message got on the screens, but one theory is that an engineer was carrying out some maintenance on the system, and in order to ‘load’ the system they would have needed to input a flight number, so they made up something humorous just to get past the login screen.
* Sure, engineers are such wiseacres!
* Guess what United said when people complained? C’mon, guess! It’s the same thing they say when they lose your luggage.
* I would not be surprised if BITEME is the universal password to all United computer systems, passcodes and employee lounges.
* That’s certainly better than the CRAMIT flight to Newark, or the MASSHOLES redeye to Boston.
* How about “WARNING: This aircraft is past its authorized term of service. Do not fly.”

110-YEAR-OLD LOBSTER RETURNED TO THE SEA

A 21-pound lobster estimated to be 110 years old was released back into the open sea by a New York seafood restaurant. Butch Yamali, owner of Peter’s Clam Bar in Hempstead, Long Island, said Lorenzo the lobster has been freeloading— er, living at the eatery for years. He said freeing Lorenzo seemed like an appropriate way to celebrate National Lobster Day and Father’s Day. Lorenzo was returned to the sea at the Atlantic Beach Artificial Reef, just off the coast of New York.
* It’s okay, they gave him a little sweater for the chill because the ocean is so cold.
* They, of course, trained him in all the natural survival skills he’ll need once he’s back living on the reef, right? Right??
* Sadly, having been inside the restaurant for years, he couldn’t remember where any of his friends lived.
* At 110 years old, I bet he was pretty crabby.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

AUDIO – STAFF AT THE LOUVRE GOES ON STRIKE OVER TOO MANY TOURISTS

The Louvre, the world’s most-visited museum in the world, shut down unexpectedly on Monday when the staff went on strike. During a pre-opening staff meeting, workers complained that the institution has too many tourists and not enough staff to handle them. Gallery attendants, ticket agents, and security personnel refused to take up their posts in protest over unmanageable crowds, chronic understaffing, and what one union called “untenable” working conditions. Meanwhile, thousands of stranded and confused visitors, tickets in hand, were standing in unmoving lines in the courtyard entrance to the museum. The Louvre welcomed 8.7 million visitors last year — more than double what its infrastructure was designed to accommodate. Even with a daily cap of 30,000, staff say the experience has become a daily test of endurance, with too few rest areas, limited bathrooms, and summer heat.
* Here’s what you do: put the Mona Lisa at the top of the Eiffel Tower, make tourists climb the steps to see it. That’ll cut the crowds by half.
* Then give everybody waiting outside in the hot sun all the free cheese they can eat. There’s another 30 percent that won’t make it to the front door.
* Convert the museum tour to a Disney-type ride. Get in the little cars, zip through, get off and get out, we got another bunch waiting.
* Crowds of ticketholders piling up at the entrance? When all else fails – “Release the hounds!!” (see audio clip)
CLIP: The Simpsons’ Mr. Burns gives the order to “Release the hounds!”
CLIP URL: morningsidekick(dot)com/prep/wp-content/uploads/burns-release-hounds(dot)mp3

TRENDING

SEAN COMBS TRIAL: MONDAY JUNE 16

Here is what happened at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex-and-drug trafficking trial on Monday:
– Juror No. 6 was officially dismissed for what the judge called a “lack of candor” during pre-trial questioning. On Monday, an alternate juror was promoted to take his place. The newest juror is a 57-year-old accountant from Westchester County, according to multiple reports. He is a white man.
– Jurors saw messages between Combs and his former chief of staff Kristina Khorram, a woman he called his “right hand” throughout her employment.
– The court saw text messages of Khorram setting up flights for his girlfriend, who used the pseudonym “Jane” in court, as well as escorts. The messages instructed Jane to pick up “a Guido package.” Guido was one of Combs’ alleged drug dealers.
– Some messages allegedly showed Combs talking about a male escort and a drug dealer. Other texts showed two of Combs’ former girlfriends – Cassie Ventura Fine and “Jane” – telling Khorram they needed help with the alleged violence and sexual abuse they faced in their relationships with Combs. One message: “No one deserves to be dragged by their hair.” Another: “I can’t do the violent, scary, kick-me-out-my-own-house thing anymore.”

ALMANAC

NOTABLE DATES, UPCOMING U.S. OBSERVANCES

June 20, Friday – Summer begins (The June solstice occurs at 10:42 P.M. EDT)
July 4, Friday – U.S. Independence Day
Sept. 1, Monday – Labor Day
Sept. 11, Thursday – Patriot Day
Sept. 22, Monday – Fall begins (Autumn Equinox is 2:19 p.m. EDT)

BIRTHDAYS

KJ Apa (actor, Archie on “Riverdale”) … 28
Venus Williams (former No.1 women’s tennis player) … 45
Jodie Whittaker (actress, former “Doctor Who”) … 43
Will Forte (actor-comedian, “The Four Seasons”) … 55
Greg Kinnear (actor) … 62
Barry Manilow (singer, songwriter) … 82

Today’s Birthdays grade: A tennis champion, a commercial jingle-writer turned AC music star, and actors and actresses including an SNL alum and a not-highly-ranked Dr. Who. Not bad – with Venus Williams’ stunning career lifting all boats. Grade: A-minus.

[Want to try something different with the daily birthdays? Try grading them! Some days have “good” celebs, some have “great” celebs, some have “lousy” celebs. For fun, give the group an arbitrary grade: A-plus through F-minus. Sidekick will give you our take on it; you can to take the concept and run with it.]

BIRTHDAY QUOTE QUIZ – Ask your listeners “Who said it?” HINT: Today’s their birthday!

“I’ve joined the old-fart club.”

(A) Billy Joel
(B) Harrison Ford
(C) Barry Manilow

ANSWER: (C) Barry Manilow

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

1994 – After refusing to give himself up on murder charges, O.J. Simpson led police on a rambling, slow-speed tour up and down southern California freeways.
* Footage later appeared on the Fox show “America’s Most Leisurely Police Chases.”

1972 – President Nixon’s eventual downfall began with the arrest of five burglars inside Democratic national headquarters in Washington’s Watergate complex.
* “I am not a crook. I hire that work out.”

1877 – Charles Elmer Hires first advertised his new soft drink – he called it “root beer.”
* Hires Root Beer would’ve given Coca-Cola a run for its money, but Charley didn’t add cocaine to HIS original formula.

1856 – The Statue of Liberty arrived in New York, a gift from France.
* Then they got the bill for the shipping, and they’ve been mean to us ever since.

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2012 – Bruce Springsteen played his longest show to date when he turned in a three-hour-and-48-minute, 32-song set at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid. This surpassed the previously longest show, Dec. 31, 1980 at the Nassau Coliseum, Long Island, New York, which clocked in at 3:43.

2009 – 60-year-old Billy Joel and his third wife, 27-year-old Katie Lee Joel, announced that were splitting up after nearly five years of marriage. Joel’s nine-year union with model Christie Brinkley ended in 1994. His nine-year marriage to Elizabeth Weber, for whom he wrote “Just The Way You Are,” ended in 1982.

1997 – Fans rioted at an Ozzfest concert in Columbus Ohio, after Ozzy Osbourne couldn’t perform due to throat problems. Angry fans broke windows, uprooted trees, and turned over a parked car.

X-TREME TRIVIA CHALLENGE

Every installment of X-Treme Trivia Challenge includes three mystery factoids. Create your own “Impossible Question” contest – great for listener giveaways and phone interaction starters! Also a perfect sponsorship opportunity!

1. If you are over 50, you will likely never eat one of THESE again. What is it?
A Pop Tart

2. Roughly 10% of American families will eat THIS for dinner tonight. What is it?
Fish

3. Nearly 60% of people will do THIS when they eat today. What is it?
Use paper plates

(c) 2025
MORNING SIDEKICK RADIO SHOW PREP & COMEDY
8062 West Massey Circle
Littleton, CO 80128
USA
morningsidekick(at)gmail(dot)(com)
Tel: 303-727-9111